Brassiere



S p 1951 s. M. ULLRICH 2,568,175

BRASSIERE Filed July 1, 1948 Ticrl, V I

INVENTOR 5U E M. ULLRICH ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 18, 1951 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to brassieres. More particularly, the invention deals with garments of this type and kind wherein the breast pocket portions of the garment have at side edges thereof, openings for insertion of breast pads between inner and outer surfaces or facings of the pocket portions of the garment. Still more particularly, the invention deals with garments of the kind under consideration having means coupling adjacent portions of the pockets whereby said coupling portion is extensible in adjustment of the size of the pocket portions to more accurately fit the breasts of a wearer.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following descriptions when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosed, and in which the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views; and in which:

Fig. l is a front perspective View of a garment made according to my invention, with part of the construction broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section substantially on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. l, and indicating in dot and dash lines, the extension of the parts shown.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken, for example, on the line 55 of Fig. 1, and showing a. modified form of construction.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, I have shown a brassiere comprising two similar breast pocket portions it and Ill, joined centrally at the front of the garment in a coupling section ll. Attached to side edge portions l2 and i2 of the pockets til and ID are side and back bands 53 and Hi, the band it terminating at its end in an elastic strap 15 supporting a coupling hook H5. The band Hi terminates at its rear end in a strap ll having a series of eyelet or other openings l8 for adjustable engagement by the hook 16.

Shoulder straps I9 and I9 extend from the upper contracted edges of the pockets Iii-4E! to the rear portions of the bands l3 and M, as clearly shown. The shoulder straps may be of any desired construction, as commonly known in garments of this kind. As each pocket IDI0' is of the same construction, one pocket only will be specifically described.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, a section through the pocket 10 is shown. The pocket is formed from inner and outer facings 2i! and 2! which may be of similar or contrasting materials or fabrics. These facings are joined at all of the border edges, except at the scams [2, where the front facing 2i only is attached to the strap l3 throughout the full width of the strap. Whereas,

the inner facing 2i! is free and unattached, as indicated at 22, between the upper and lower edges 23 and 26, thus forming an opening 25 for admis sion to the chamber or compartment 2% between. the facings 20 and 2|. The opening 25 facilitates insertion and removal of a preformed breast pad 2? which may be formed of any suitable soft flexible material generally characterizing the surface: of the breast and having a central nipple portion. 28 and tapered or contracted peripheral edges 29..

In Fig. l of the drawing, the companion pad, for the pocket it is indicated by the reference: character 2? and it will be understood that thestructure of the pocket It is in all respects similar to the pocket it. By the structure described,v it will be apparent that the pads 2i and 27 can. be inserted and removed whenever desired, and. particularly in laundering the garment.

The coupling section it joins inner adjacent edge portions 39 and 30' of the pockets l0 and it and these edge portions are gathered or pleated in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and it is preferred that the folds in one of the facings, for example, the folds of the facing 2B are stitched, as indicated at 3!,

in said figure to positively position the folds-,

Whereas the inner facing it will fold within the folds of the facing 2| in forming the gathered. or pleated structure at the edges 39 and 38. The: purpose of this gathering is to compensate for' expansion of the section I i in adapting the Dock-- ets it and ill to a more perfect fit upon the breasts of a wearer.

In the sale of garments of the kind under consideration, which are pre-made in definite cup and body sizes, accurate fitting is often times impossible, in that the differential between one cup size and the next nearest cup size is not sufficient to provide proper fit of the pockets upon the breasts ofthe wearer. For example, a 34-3 may be too small, whereas a 34-0 may be too large. If, for example, the garment in question were made and characterized as a 34-3, the extensibility referred to would automatically compensate for proper fitting of any size between 34-3 and 34-C. The degree of extensibility can be controlled by the shaping of the cup parts and the pleats provided therein. In the accompanying drawing, the structure has been exaggerated simply from a standpoint of clarity in the showmg.

The section H comprises, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a band of elastic fabric which may have a one-way or two-way stretch. This band is secured together and to the edge portions 30 and 30 by stitchings, as indicated at 32 in Fig. 1 of the drawing when the edge portions 30 and 30' are in fully extended position and the section I l extended so that when released. the normal elasticity of the section II,

or the elastic fabric band comprising this section, will draw the parts together substantially in the manner illustrated in Fig. 1, with the edges 30 and 30 pleated or gathered substantiall in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4. The section II is in the form of a loop comprising a solid front wall panel 33, the ends of the band being abutted at the rear of the garment, as indicated at 34, in Fig. 3 of the drawing. In this figure, the loop is shown open to indicate the folds or pleats in the edge 30'. The entire section has been indicated in dot and dash lines in the extended position, in which position the stitching of the section to the edges 30 and 38' takes place. As stated before, the degree of extensibility has been exaggerated simply for sake of clarity, it being understood that compensating for sizes can be controlled within a limited extension of the section II.

In Fig. of the drawing, I have shown a slight modification, in which 35 and 35' represent parts of pockets similar to the pockets [0 and I0. At 36 and 36' is shown the outer facings of the pockets and at 31 and 31' are shown the inner facings thereof. At 38 is shown a coupling section generally similar to the section II and attached to edges 39 and 39' which will be similar to the edges 38 and That is to say, pleated for extensibility of the section 38.

In Figs. 1 to 4, the loops 33 joins both inner and outer facings of the pockets, whereas in Fig. 5, the loop forming the section 38 joins only the outer facings and 35 of the pockets, the inner adjacent edges of the facings 31 and 31 being free, as indicated at 40 and 40' to form openings 4| and 4|, similar to the openings 25, for insertion and removal of pads, as indicated in part at 42 and 42 in Fig. 5. In other words, instead of inserting the pads through openings at outer edges of the pockets, the pads may be inserted at the inner edges through the openings 4! and 4|, the outer edges of the pockets being closed.

With the structure shown in Fig. 5, I provide along the edges 40 and 40 of the facings 31 and 31', elastic straps 43 and 43' which will compensate for extensibility of the section 38, but will leave the rear portion of the garment open between the edges 40 and 40 to facilitate insertion and removal of the pads, which result is accomplished when the section 38 is extended.

From a standpoint of description, the sections H and 38 may be said to comprise compensating sections for increasing the area or capacity of the pockets. This structural feature is applicable to garments of the type and kind under consideration apart from the use of the pad members.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A brassiere of the character described, comprising a pair of breast pockets, means secured to and joining and spacing adjacent edge poi tions of the pockets, means comprising side and back bands extending from outer sides of the pockets for supporting the brassire upon the body of the wearer, each pocket being composed of inner and outer relatively movable facings with a chamber therebetween, each pocket having, on one side edge portion thereof, an opening for admission into said chamber, said opening extending substantially the full height of said side edge portion, said first named means comprising a vertically extensible elastic section providing extension of the pockets adjacent edge portions thereof, and the edges of the pockets joining said elastic section being pleated to facilitate said extension of the pockets.

2. A brassiere of the character described, comprising a pair of breast pockets, means secured to and joining and spacing adjacent edge portions of the pockets, means comprising side and back bands extending from outer sides of the pockets for supporting the brassiere upon the body of the wearer, each pocket being composed of inner and outer relatively movable facings with a chamber therebetween, each pocket having, one one side edge portion thereof, an opening for admission into said chamber, said opening extending substantially the full height of said side edge portion, said first named means comprising a vertically extensible elastic section providing extension of the pockets adjacent edge portions thereof, the edges of the pockets joining said elastic section being pleated to facilitate said extension of the pockets, and said opening being disposed at the inner side edge portion of each pocket.

3. In brassieres of the class described, comprising a pair of breast pockets, means including side and back bands extending from outer sides of said pockets for mounting the brassiere upon the body of the wearer, vertically yieldable means secured to and joining and ,spacing adjacent edge portions of the pockets, said yieldable means normally gathering said adjacent edge portions of the pockets to shorten the vertical dimensions of said edge portions and to minimize the size of the pockets, and said yieldable means being extensible vertically to the end of removing gatherings at, and lengthen said edge portions of the pockets and to materially increase capacity size of the pockets.

SUE M. ULLRICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,272,427 Haderlein July 16, 1918 1,648,464 Rosenthal Nov. 8, 1927 2,009,731 French July 30, 1935 2,421,561 Hunau June 3, 1947 

